Roundhouse, UNSW
Roundhouse is a 500-capacity multi-purpose event venue at UNSW's Kensington campus in Sydney, operated by Arc UNSW Student Life since the 1960s. It serves UNSW students, corporate clients, and concert promoters with venue hire, in-house UniBar food and beverage, and a five-partner catering ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersKensington, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Roundhouse, UNSW does
Roundhouse is a multi-purpose event venue operated by Arc UNSW Student Life at the University of New South Wales's Kensington campus in Sydney, Australia. Established in the 1960s and branded as "The Home Of Good Times," the venue runs as a non-profit student services facility with 27 employees, delivering venue hire, on-site food and beverage, external catering coordination, and full event production services. The venue's main room accommodates up to 500 guests for banquets, with a balcony, breakout rooms, and a beer garden extending usable space; audio-visual capabilities include new truss, lighting, and a modular stage on a 400m² parquetry dance floor. A Matterport 360-degree virtual tour is published for remote prospect engagement.
The business model combines three revenue streams: one-time venue hire fees for corporate conferences, gala dinners, concerts, and student events; transaction-based F&B sales through UniBar (pub classics priced AUD $7-22, cocktails at AUD $15, with happy hour promotions); and professional services revenue from catering partnerships with five external caterers. Distribution is direct-to-customer through segmented website booking portals (corporate, gigs/concerts, student) plus walk-in dining. Pricing for daytime F&B is publicly listed at unit prices; corporate and evening catering packages are quoted per enquiry. The venue is owned by UNSW and operated through Arc UNSW Student Life, with marketing concentrated on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify), a website events calendar, and email newsletter signup.
Customer demand is split horizontally across three primary segments: UNSW students for social events, trivia, bingo, and graduation gatherings; corporate clients for conferences, Christmas parties, product launches, and fundraisers; and concert/event organizers for live music and dance events. Named enterprise anchors include Latin Dance Australia (an 18-year recurring client running the LDA BALL with 700+ attendees) and UNSW Future Students. The venue has no public funding, patents, M&A activity, or disclosed financials, and operates as a single-site venue restricted to the NSW market.
Roundhouse, UNSW firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Roundhouse, UNSW
- Legal name
- Arc UNSW Student Life
- Website
- https://unswroundhouse.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Roundhouse is a 500-capacity multi-purpose event venue at UNSW's Kensington campus in Sydney, operated by Arc UNSW Student Life since the 1960s. It serves UNSW students, corporate clients, and concert promoters with venue hire, in-house UniBar food and beverage, and a five-partner catering ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Roundhouse, UNSW industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Venue and Hospitality Services
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC)
Keywords
Where Roundhouse, UNSW is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kensington
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Roundhouse, UNSW business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Venue Hire: Revenue generated from hiring out venue spaces including the main room (capacity 500), balcony, breakout rooms, and beer garden for various events including corporate conferences, gala dinners, and special events.
- Food and Beverage Sales: On-site food service offering pub classics (burgers, wings, schnitzel, fish & chips) and bar service including beers, wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages. UniBar operates with happy hour promotions.
- Catering Packages: Partnership with external catering companies (Roundhouse Catering, Bayleaf, Bon Vin, European Catering, Laissez-fair, Vanilla Blue) for corporate events and banquets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food Menu Items - Burgers $15-16 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Classic Mains $18-22 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wings and Sides $7-18 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Daily Specials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktails $15 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Roundhouse, UNSW product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Roundhouse is a multi-functional event venue at the University of New South Wales' Kensington campus offering venue hire for corporate conferences, gala dinners, concerts/gigs, and student social events accommodating up to 500 guests. The venue operates an on-site UniBar and pub-style food menu, partners with five external caterers for banquets, and provides in-house event production services including audio-visual equipment, theming, and modular staging.
Product overview
Roundhouse, UNSW is a multi-functional entertainment venue at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, operational since the 1960s. The venue operates as a unified platform combining physical event hosting with food and beverage services. Core offerings center on venue hire for diverse event types (corporate conferences, concerts, student activities, gala dinners, special events) accommodating up to 500 guests, supported by in-house UniBar food and beverage operations and comprehensive catering services. The venue also provides audio-visual production capabilities, theming/decorations, and virtual tour technology for client engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venue Hire and Event Bookings Roundhouse offers venue hire services for corporate events, gigs and concerts, student functions, gala dinners, and special events. The venue accommodates up to 500 guests in the main room with additional balcony and breakout space.
- Gala Dinners and Banquets Event hosting service for banquets, conference dinners, Christmas parties and soirees with catering packages from five select caterers.
- Special Events Venue hosting for product launches, town halls, corporate functions, fundraisers, press events, and exhibitions with audio-visual equipment including new truss and modular staging.
- Gigs and Concerts Concert venue booking service for live music performances featuring a 400m² parquetry dance floor.
- Corporate Bookings Conference and corporate event venue hire with full catering and event services support.
- Student Life Events Student-focused venue hire for social events, trivia nights, bingo, and entertainment activities.
- UniBar On-site bar service offering beers, wines, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages with happy hour promotions and weekly entertainment events.
- Food and Snacks Menu Pub-style food service featuring burgers, chicken schnitzel, chicken parmigiana, fish and chips, salads, wings, fries, wedges, and nachos.
- Catering Services Event catering provided by five select caterers including Roundhouse Catering, Bayleaf, Bon Vin, European Catering, Laissez-fair, and Vanilla Blue.
- Event Services (Theming, Audio Visual) Complete event production services including theming, centerpieces, decoration, lighting, music, and audio-visual equipment with new truss, lighting equipment, and modular stage.
Companies that use Roundhouse, UNSW
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Roundhouse, UNSW technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Roundhouse, UNSW partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Latin Dance AustraliaminorLatin Dance Australia (LDA) has hosted their annual LDA BALL event at Roundhouse for 18 consecutive editions, with 700+ attendees. LDA is highlighted as a recurring client hosting large-scale dance events at the venue.
- Catering PartnersminorRoundhouse has partnerships with five catering companies: Roundhouse Catering, Bayleaf, Bon Vin, European Catering, Laissez-fair, and Vanilla Blue. These partners provide catering services for corporate events and banquets held at the venue.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Roundhouse, UNSW competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Carriageworks: Carriageworks is a major Sydney arts and event venue hosting corporate functions, product launches, and large-scale cultural events. It competes with Roundhouse for premium corporate and special event bookings, but operates as a much larger multi-arts precinct rather than a university student venue.
- Enmore Theatre: Enmore Theatre is a heritage 1,600-capacity Sydney live music and events venue operated by TEG Live. It competes with Roundhouse for touring concerts and special events, but at a larger commercial scale and as part of a broader portfolio rather than a university-affiliated niche.
- Hordern Pavilion: Hordern Pavilion is a major Sydney concert and event venue operated by TEG Live, with significantly larger capacity (5,500+) and a broader commercial focus. It competes with Roundhouse for mid-size concert bookings and touring acts, but operates as part of a wider venue portfolio rather than a student-focused niche.
Direct peers
- QUT Student Union venues: Queensland University of Technology's student union operates comparable bar, food service, and event venue operations for the QUT campus community. These venues mirror Roundhouse's combination of student-focused hospitality with event hire for a comparable university demographic.
- Manning Bar (University of Sydney Union): The University of Sydney Union's Manning Bar is a student-focused bar, live music venue, and event space on the USU campus. It directly mirrors Roundhouse's concept of combining a student bar with event hire for concerts and parties, serving a comparable university demographic in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
- The Abercrombie (University of Sydney Union): The Abercrombie is a hotel, pub, and live music venue operated by the University of Sydney Union, offering comparable student-oriented entertainment, gig bookings, and event hosting. It competes with Roundhouse for the same Sydney university student demographic and live music touring acts.
Regional players
- The Forum Melbourne: The Forum Melbourne is a heritage 1,500-capacity concert and events venue offering comparable event hire, concert bookings, and corporate function services to Roundhouse, but serving the Melbourne market rather than Sydney. It is the most direct functional equivalent in a different geography.
- The Tivoli Brisbane: The Tivoli is a heritage Brisbane concert and events venue with comparable live music and event hosting services to Roundhouse, but serving the Queensland market. It demonstrates a similar heritage-venue positioning in a different Australian city.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Roundhouse, UNSW social profiles
Digital presenceRoundhouse, UNSW financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Roundhouse, UNSW leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Roundhouse, UNSW funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Roundhouse, UNSW M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Roundhouse, UNSW
What does Roundhouse, UNSW do?
Roundhouse is a multi-functional event venue at the University of New South Wales' Kensington campus offering venue hire for corporate conferences, gala dinners, concerts/gigs, and student social events accommodating up to 500 guests. The venue operates an on-site UniBar and pub-style food menu, partners with five external caterers for banquets, and provides in-house event production services including audio-visual equipment, theming, and modular staging.
Is Roundhouse, UNSW a public or private company?
Roundhouse, UNSW is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Roundhouse, UNSW founded?
Roundhouse, UNSW was founded in 1960. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Roundhouse, UNSW based?
Roundhouse, UNSW is headquartered in Kensington, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Roundhouse, UNSW make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venue Hire is the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage Sales and catering Packages.
Who are Roundhouse, UNSW's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Carriageworks, Enmore Theatre and Hordern Pavilion. Direct peers are QUT Student Union venues, Manning Bar (University of Sydney Union) and The Abercrombie (University of Sydney Union). Regional players are The Forum Melbourne and The Tivoli Brisbane.
Does Roundhouse, UNSW have an API?
No public API is recorded for Roundhouse, UNSW.
What industry is Roundhouse, UNSW in?
Roundhouse, UNSW's product category is Event Venue and Hospitality Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAC, Venue & Banquet Hall Catering. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.